UK studio group Pinewood-Shepperton has appointed Nick Smith as its new sales and marketing director.

Smith joins from Nokia, where he was European head of sales for interactive services. Before that, he worked in the UK broadcast sector with spells at LWT, Granada and United News and Media.

Pinewood and Shepperton finalised their merger last year - a union driven by the need to secure more big budget US productions in the face of growing overseas competition.

Smith commented: "I am looking forward to establishing Pinewood-Shepperton as the world's premier production facility."